


Kingdom of the Ocean

by oyasumiya



Series: Kingdom of the Ocean [2]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, characters will be added as i go along, i just think they're neat, underwater fantasy au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2020-12-16 03:56:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21029858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oyasumiya/pseuds/oyasumiya
Summary: Kaoru Hakaze wakes up in an unfamiliar room under the surface of the sea.He tries to recall where he is, who he is; how he got here, but comes up with no answer-- no human should be in the Kingdom of the Ocean.And the mystery remains.-An intern in the beaten-down RYUSEITAI, Chiaki Morisawa hears of a request to reclaim a lost artifact from the very bottom of the ocean.Something strikes a chord in the back of his mind. He feels like there's something more he's supposed to know about the object they're supposed to retrieve.Why does Chiaki feel like he's seen it before...?-[Main story of the "Kingdom of the Ocean" AU! UNDEAD and Ryuseitai centric, focusing on Kaoru, Rei, Chiaki and Kanata in particular.]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello, and welcome to the main story of kingdom of the ocean!! i'm really excited to be writing this; i've been planning this au for ages with my friends and i really love where it's going :3c i am just...a little kaoruP 
> 
> carrd: https://kingdomoftheocean.carrd.co/

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The numbness was spreading through his body—he didn’t know he could feel even more exhausted than he already was. Around him, the temperature seemed to drop even further, and he let out a voiceless sigh as he curled in on himself as best as he could.
> 
> And his world went black again.

He lay still, drifting in a concerto of static.

His surroundings carried him where his legs failed—not that he would know that, anyway. All he could feel was  _ cold,  _ and the hollowing sensation of falling downwards.

Until silence bled into the rest of what he could feel, and the plunging feeling abruptly came to a halt.

Where  _ was  _ he…? With the state he was in right now, he wasn’t in any condition to make any guesses—and he was too drained to even try. Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep, for as long of a time as possible…

_ That’s heading in a dangerous direction. _

He tried to move, to open his eyes and get  _ somewhere— _ anywhere—but the haze hanging over him stopped him from attempting. As soon as he propped himself up with one arm and used the other to drag himself forward, both limbs collapsed underneath him and he didn’t have the strength to try again.

So he remained where he was, wherever  _ that  _ was, and gave up.

In hindsight, maybe that wasn’t the best idea. What was it that someone had told him before? To keep moving, no matter w—

And then he paused.

_ No matter what? _

Another beat of silence, even though that was all he could hear at that point.

_ Who told me what? _

He would panic, but there was nothing left in him to do so. The question went in circles around his mind, like a fish taking a casual tour of its new aquarium, but he never found the answer to what he was looking for.

Eventually, his mind shut itself off again, and he crumpled back onto wherever he’d been lying earlier.

The numbness was spreading through his body—he didn’t know he could feel even more exhausted than he already was. Around him, the temperature seemed to drop even further, and he let out a voiceless sigh as he curled in on himself as best as he could.

And his world went black again.

* * *

“There’s something over here…?”

Truthfully, he had just wanted to enjoy his break outside of his usual patrolling duties, but an unusual form amongst the outskirts of the kingdom caught his attention—so, he’d dutifully alerted one of the nearby guards.

“I’ll inspect it,” he volunteered. “Fish and seals do tend to get caught in between the netting here from time to time, and I have had experience getting them out—”

Souma paused as he realised just  _ what  _ had been lying just outside their borders, and in the very moment he let out a strangled yell, his hand had already moved to the sword at his side.

What—no,  _ how  _ was a human here?

An enemy, perhaps? In that case, better to strike them down while they were still out. He took a deep breath, and went through the principals of the Kanzaki family: In the case of a fight, one must remain poised, never hesitate, and— 

He was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. “Wait, I think I recognise him. Move away for a bit.”

Souma was disturbed at that, to say the least, but he recognised that the guard was a senior, and if he was issuing orders, then compliance it was—and so he stepped away, sheathing his blade and watching the other guard with a frown.

The guard adjusted the unconscious figure, moving his arms away so that he could get a closer look, and Souma hovered close by, anxious for the verdict.

“Yes, he came here some time ago. You probably just didn’t see him then, since he didn’t stay for long.” His expression was neutral. “I don’t see the Blessing of the Ocean on him as of now, but his features are unmistakable. Perhaps it’s merely inactive? Then again, I don’t know how it works.”

“If you say that he is not against us, then I shall trust you.” Souma knelt down next to him to inspect the man as well, pausing when he caught sight of a deep red hidden beneath blond locks. “It looks like he is injured, however. Should we get him medical attention?”

“That should be our priority,” the guard agreed, picking the unknown person up and checking him over again. “He doesn’t look like he’s in good condition for sure—the worst wounds seem to be to his head. The castle is nearby, no?”

Souma glanced back up, trying to calculate the time they’d need to take in his head. “I would not say  _ nearby,  _ but it is within walking distance. Close enough that calling for someone else to come and get us would take longer, and end up as a hassle.”

He was met with a nod. “Of course. Let’s get going, then—though, I wonder what someone like him is doing here...the last time I’d seen him was months ago.”

_ That’s true. _

“I wonder that too,” Souma replied. “But we’ll find out soon.”

Obviously, he couldn’t be so quick to trust the man. He was no normal human, that was for sure, but he had the Blessing of the Ocean—a term he’d heard mentioned before, but not something he knew too much about.

Well, if his superior turned out to be wrong, and they had an enemy on their hands—he had a weapon to defend the kingdom with, and magic that had been nurtured within his clan for decades.

Souma took one final look at their guest, and turned back in the direction of the castle.

* * *

He woke to the sight of an unfamiliar room, in a bed that seemed too sterile for him to trust.

_ Where am I?  _

His surroundings were rather plain, but clean—and he still didn’t have any clue about what it was meant to be. It was quiet, too, with no one else inside— 

The sound of a door being unlocked interrupted his train of thought, and his first instinct was to tense up, grabbing on to whatever was nearest to him. His hands found a railing by the side of his bed, and he held on tightly, wondering if it would be good if he were to run.

“Oh, you’re awake! You had us worried with how long you were out...don’t look so scared, I’m just a nurse!”

Despite the reassurance, he couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at the woman who’d just entered the room, refusing to move anywhere. Blue-tinted skin, and eyes that were so bright that it seemed to burn a whole through him—who was she?

“Three days was an awfully long time, but now that you’re here with us, I daresay your recovery will be much less bumpy then it’s been so far…” She folded her hands, trailing off as she noticed his expression. “We’re not here to hurt you, you know! How are you feeling?”

Honestly? He felt like shit. Everything felt all buzzed up, and his limbs were so numb that he wasn’t sure he would be able to walk straight if he got out of bed—but he wasn’t about to admit that.

He kept his gaze on the floor instead, choosing not to respond to her question.

“You looked horrible when you they first brought you in. I’m glad Kanzaki-kun noticed you and brought you here in time!” She was already fussing over him, but at least it didn’t look like she was up to no good. “We’ll have to keep you on bed rest for a while, but if all goes well, we can have you out of here in a couple of weeks maximum!”

Not knowing what to say to that, he merely bowed his head. How was he supposed to feel—grateful? Relieved?

There was a knock on the door, interrupting the both of them, and the nurse was out of his face, rushing to welcome whoever was outside. “It looks like the doctor and his assistant’s here. Well, I’ll be on my way, then!”

“I hope you didn’t scare him; the last thing he needs right now is you giving the poor man a heart attack.” The voice that spoke was foreign; harsh, and the man glared from over his clipboard. “Goodness.”

Wow, talk about cold _ . _

“Ahaha, but what if ya end up scaring him too?” The boy who followed him in looked a fair bit younger, and  _ far  _ less scary than the supposed doctor that had just walked in. “People get intimidated by ya a lot, Oshi-san.”

“Silence, Kagehira. It’s not the time for that.” The doctor narrowed his eyes before taking a seat. “Your vitals seem fine—by that, I mean that they haven’t deteriorated since we found you. Does anything hurt?”

His voice was so commanding that he couldn’t help but nod along to it.

“As expected. Well, that’s something we can only fix with time and a little magic.” The man huffed a little, scribbling something down before turning to him again. “Kagehira, hold Mademoiselle for a moment.”

His attendant accepted the doll happily—why was he carrying around a doll in the first place? —, and he reached out to push aside his bangs. “It looks like the wound on your head is taking its time to heal, though. That might be a problem.” 

“Can’t ya just use magic, though? There gotta be healers around here somewhere…”

“That’s why  _ you’re  _ not the doctor. Magic can’t solve anything, there are so many complications such as vitality and compatibility…” He trailed off. “Now that you’re awake, it’s important that I get your statement. Do you know what happened to you? How you got here in the first place?”

He shifted his gaze to the side, and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Considering the extent of your injuries and how you were passed out when you were found, I’m not surprised.” The man let out a particularly exasperated sigh, and his tone softened as he spoke again. “Is there anything you remember about yourself?”

“Anything I…” Why was he being interrogated, like he was some kind of criminal or victim from the result of a particularly questionable crime? He just wanted to be left alone, with some space to himself to think through this whole situation, but… “No, not really.”

There was an awkward pause in the room, and he played with the hem of the sheets. What else could he say?

“I see.” The doctor seemed deep in thought, only remembering a second later to write that down. “That’s troubling. Your wounds don’t seem like they’d result in amnesia of any sort, but the human body is a complicated thing.”

“Amnesia?” He tilted his head. “That could be it...I don’t think I remember anything at all, to be honest.”

“ _ At all? _ You don’t look like you’re lying, so I’ll believe you for now.” The man reached for his doll once again, standing up and tapping his assistant on the shoulder. “We’ll take a closer look at you once you get some rest—you look quite frazzled. I apologise that we’ve had to overwhelm you so soon after you’ve woken up.”

He bowed his head, grateful for the break. “That’s fine. Thank you, uh…”

“Shu Itsuki. I’m a doctor at the castle’s royal hospital.” Shu looked back down at him, his assistant more than happy to tag along. “Do you know your name?”

He froze, and shook his head.

“Your name is Hakaze Kaoru,” the doctor told him. “A previous bearer of the Ocean’s Blessing.”

* * *

Shortly after his meeting with Shu, Kaoru learnt three things.

First, he had no idea who he was. He couldn’t remember anything about himself, not even who he was, or where he’d come from. It was something that the entire kingdom was puzzled by, most of all the king, and nothing they tried had brought back his memories.

Second, though Shu had commented once on the Ocean’s Blessing, it had disappeared in the months he had been away from the castle. They’d performed a ritual again to replace the sigil where it had apparently been on his hand—not that he would know anything about it.

And, lastly—he wasn’t able to use magic any longer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life was...boring, to say the least. He’d thought that being a hero-of-justice would have felt a little bit more fulfilling.

It was just another day of regular RYUSEITAI activities, which, well—didn’t really consist of much at all.

Chiaki sat at one of the lunch hall’s empty benches, picking at a plate of food with little motivation. There weren’t many people around, and the few others inside were ones he’d never talked to before.

He shouldn’t have been surprised. This was Yumenosaki, after all, and ever since Eichi’s iron-fisted rule had loosened; since a new generation of parties rose up throughout the world-famous guild, requests had been popping up more and more often, and most members were more than happy to take them on.

So it was almost laughable that one of Yumenosaki’s veteran parties had been left behind in the dust.

A usual day for him went like this: A couple of their oldest members were out on whatever mission brought them the most money, the rest of them were lounging around in town with nothing to do, and he wasn’t allowed to tag along, since he was just an intern.

He’d be made to go on errands—that he’d already completed in the morning—and was never assigned anything, which made him feel even  _ more  _ like he was never getting anywhere.

Life was... _ boring,  _ to say the least. He’d thought that being a hero-of-justice would have felt a little bit more fulfilling.

This wasn’t the RYUSEITAI that Chiaki had come to love when he was young, but now he was here, and now—now, he had to make do, no matter how disappointed he was about it deep down. 

_ A hero doesn’t complain. _

He resisted the urge to sigh as he swallowed another bite of food.

It was to be expected. Ever since the old leader had stepped down from his post, the once glorious RYUSEITAI had gone to waste, rotting in corruption and members who were only in it for the fame and money.

...not that the  _ fame  _ part of it was really that apparent that anymore. The newer parties were rising quickly, grabbing everyone’s attention, while RYUSEITAI only had its history to boast about.

Chiaki frowned, remembering the big-hearted, shining captain he’d met years ago. Now that he thought about it, was that person the only thing holding them together?

It’s not like he didn’t try. It was just that every time he did, he’d end up getting into trouble with his seniors—things like  _ don’t go off doing things by yourself  _ and  _ you’re just getting in our way,  _ and he wasn’t strong enough to not let words like those affect him.

But really, what kind of hero was he if his justice was limited to mindless, simple tasks like helping an old lady cross the road, or giving his seat up to someone on the train?

Chiaki didn’t know.

_ What a pain…  _ There was something about quiet, lonely afternoons like this that made his heart ache. He knew he wasn’t built for peace and sitting around; he wanted to get up and go on a mission or two, but all it would bring for RYUSEITAI was trouble.

The sigh he’d been holding back escaped his lips, and he stared down at his lunch, defeated.

“What a sigh. Is there anything bothering you, Morisawa-kun?”

He startled at the sudden intrusion, raising his head at the new voice and blinking twice at the man who had come to join him.

“O—Oh, if it isn’t Sakuma!” Chiaki sat up straight, watching as Rei slid into the seat across him. “Are you about to have lunch too? I’d be much happier eating with someone else, so feel free to join in!”

“Fufu, you’re lively today.” Rei laughed a little, but he didn’t decline his invitation. “UNDEAD is going on a mission in a bit, so I’m afraid fighting on a full stomach would hinder me. I was, however, planning on resting here for a while, and you seemed rather lonely sitting all by yourself.”

He grinned, already feeling better. “It  _ is  _ pretty dull when you’re by yourself! And Sakuma’s party sure is well-known, huh? It seems like you guys are barely around, since you keep getting requests.”

“That’s because we don’t live in the dorms here,” Rei explained patiently. “But you’d be right...maybe it’d do good for us to show our faces more often?”

“No one would mind that! You three are a fun bunch, after all!”

Rei smiled at his response, but Chiaki noted how it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m glad we are, Morisawa-kun. Now, enough about me...you seemed quite depressed earlier. Could I guess that it’s about RYUSEITAI?”

“Ahaha…” He rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. “It’s nothing much. Well...literally, I mean. We haven’t been doing anything.”

“I see.” Rei’s gaze settled on him, thoughtful and wise, and Chiaki couldn’t help but think that the man was every bit as good as reading people as the rumours said, despite how much more... _ muted  _ he’d seemed in the past year. “If you don’t like it, why not leave? There isn’t anyone holding you back.”

“What? Of course not!” He furrowed his brow. “Being part of RYUSEITAI has always been my dream, ever since I was young, you know! I’ve always wanted to be a hero…!”

Rei’s tone was heavy. “And, pray tell, what part of this—” He gestured at the empty hall around him, “ —would be considered heroic?”

Chiaki didn’t have an answer to that.

“I think you know it just as well as I do,” his companion continued. “RYUSEITAI has lost it’s shine, as well as what it claims to stand for. In fact, I’d say you know it the best out of everyone.”

_ RYUSEITAI has lost it’s shine.  _ That was like a hard slap to the face—it’s not like Chiaki didn’t know that, but he tried not to admit it, whether it was to himself or to others.

“Besides, it’s not as if Morisawa-kun is lacking in skill?” Rei probed. “Maybe in finesse, yes, but I do believe that people would still join if you were to start a party of your own. You are not  _ that  _ desolate.”

He just laughed again—heavy and unsure, but a laugh nonetheless. “That’s high praise coming from you, Sakuma! I’m grateful...but it’s just gotta be RYUSEITAI, you know?”

Chiaki followed up with a series of hand gestures that were too confusing for even  _ himself  _ to understand, much less Rei, and the other man just gave him a wry smile in response.

“I suppose I understand,” he replied. “Very well, then—it isn’t my place to meddle. An old man like me wouldn’t know much in the first place.”

Chiaki waved his hands. “Not at all! I appreciate your concern!”

“You’re very kind.” Rei nodded at him before glancing up at the clock above them. “It seems like it’s about time for me to leave—before Doggie yells at me for being late, that is. I do hope you feel better soon too...I’ll see you around.”

“Thanks for the concern! And I’d love to see the rest of UNDEAD if you decide to hang around again!”

He said that, but Rei was already gone, just as quickly and silently as he’d arrived.

“A new party, huh..”

Chiaki turned back to his half-finished food, glaring down at the plate in thought. Of  _ course  _ he didn’t want to leave RYUSEITAI—it was the place most important to him, and it had been his dream for  _ years _ —but he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t being very hero-like in a party that was supposed to be all about them.

_ I shouldn’t be thinking about this now. _

His lunch was looking less and less appetizing by the minute, but he forced himself to finish it anyway. 

In the evening, they’d have their weekly report, as well as their next plan of action. Which, well—was mostly just even more lazing around for most of them, but Chiaki tried not to dwell on that.

He’d find his own, personal justice, somehow.

As hopeless as it seemed, he’d find a way to be a hero.

* * *

Chiaki didn’t know when the ocean had become such a large comfort to him.

It started when he was a child. For some reason, he’d run out of his house and down to the nearby beach to watch the waves—and ever since then, he would stare at the ocean whenever he felt down.

Now, he hugged his knees, gazing out into the waters blankly. Small waves splashed at his feet, almost reversed in their nature, and he couldn’t help but bask in the cooling sensation for a few minutes.

The ocean seemed calm today—like it was in a good mood or something.

Chiaki kept his eyes on the horizon.

“I love it, you know. RYUSEITAI.” He wanted to glance around to see if there were any rocks that he could throw into the ocean to pass the time, but he also didn’t want to move his gaze anywhere else. “How could I  _ not  _ love it?”

A party full of childish, naive ideals that seemed like it could never have a place in today’s world—it was so painfully  _ bright  _ that he loved it even more.

“And I liked the idea of it, but…” He swallowed and continued on, knowing there was no one around to hear him. “Sometimes, I feel like the members don’t believe in justice and all.”

That was a lie; he  _ knew  _ that. It wasn’t just a feeling.

Chiaki pressed his lips together before resuming his mindless rambling. “So, like...what should I do? I don’t want to leave, but I also don’t want to spend all my time being useless.”

The ocean didn’t respond. Of course it didn’t.

He dipped his hand in the water, marvelling at how clear it was. It shimmered against the light of the setting sun, and peered up at him like it was pressing him to continue.

But Chiaki really didn’t have much else to say. “Man...it’s all so strange. I’m really in a sticky situation, huh?”

Was it just him, or did the tiny puddle in his hands seem to grow warmer?

He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding—the feeling of warm water against his skin felt comforting, like the ocean was trying to cheer him up in its own way.

It probably wasn’t the ocean’s doing, but—he would never know. Most things seemed to contain their own special form of semi-sentience nowadays, and the ocean was very old; he wouldn’t be  _ too  _ surprised if all the years had affected it somehow.

He smiled. “Thanks for that.”

Even if he didn’t know what had cheered him up, what he  _ did  _ know was that as a hero, he should be grateful for everything—and as a hero, it was his duty to be nice to everyone and everything he knew.

And then—an interruption.

“Oi, Morisawa.” 

Chiaki startled at his leader’s voice, feeling water slip back through his fingers as he turned around. “We’ve been looking for you. Where’ve you been?”

The man took a few steps across the sand, his hands on his hips.

No one could replace the original RYUSEITAI’s leader, and that was a fact. Their current captain—well, Chiaki didn’t think he was a bad person at heart, but he was pretty money-driven when it came down to taking requests.

Chiaki gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I guess I lost track of time?”

His leader sighed. “We’re about to start our weekly report back in the guild. Meet us back there, alright? We’ve got a new mission too—big money and all. We need manpower for it.”

_ So that means I can come along…!  _

He bounced to his feet instantly, head suddenly clear, and wondered if he was grinning like an idiot, but—so what if he was? “Yes, sir! I’ll be right there!”

He scrambled to follow the disappearing back of his captain, nearly tripping over his feet in his attempt to do so, and the two of them made their way back to Yumenosaki.

And the ocean watched in silence, as if cheering him on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not too familiar with writing ryuseitai (or chiaki), so i hope i didn't write him Too badly or something! also if it isn't clear chiaki's meant to be more like his second year self here hehe
> 
> once again, feel free to scream at me @ikanyaide on twitter! i hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adonis breathed, low and heavy. “He’s taking it the hardest out of all of us. I do wish he would share some of his burden with us—he’s just been pretending that it hasn’t affected him…”
> 
> “Annoying as hell, ain’t it?” Koga’s voice was soft, revealing a certain kind of vulnerability that he never showed to Rei—and he could feel his heart sink at that. His juniors shouldn’t have to be worrying about _him_, and yet here they were. “Though it’s gonna take a thousand years for him to ever open up to us about how he feels about the whole thing.”

He could feel the wind in his ears as his blade cut through another opponent with ease.

The beast before him let out a howl, shrieking in agony as it succumbed to its own shadow. Meanwhile, his sword hissed, as if glad that the enemy would soon be gone, rotting in a puddle of its own debris until it was reduced to nothing.

“But how—?” Ah, there it was; the main culprit behind the monster attacks. “You managed to defeat my creations?”

Rei raised an eyebrow in response, watching the murky darkness slide off his weapon until there was no trace of the foe it had just slain. “Would you like my honest opinion? Your... _ creations,  _ as you call them, are rather lacking in substance.”

Next to him, Koga grinned, raking his arm across the air and cackling as his magic followed suit, crunching down on another of the gruesome monsters in their way—and he couldn’t help but think that the boy looked a lot more villainous in that moment than their enemy in that moment.

“Hah! Take  _ that!  _ And that as well!”

He waved a hand and nodded at Adonis, passing on a silent message:  _ Take care of the rest of them. _

“I’m afraid you’re small fry to us, no matter how big you think you are,” he sighed, not even bothering to use his sword. “Hiding behind monsters and making them do their dirty work for you...how cowardly.”

A snap of his fingers, and the man’s shadow twisted its way up from the ground—as crude as it was, it would serve as a restraint until authorities came.

How pathetic. The vitality his opponent provided wasn’t even enough for more than a sip.

Metres away, Adonis and Koga had long made easy work of their task. They approached him, self-satisfied grins on their faces, and he could see the village’s mayor making her way over as well.

“Oh, we can’t thank you enough,” she cried, grabbing Rei’s hands with her own frail, wrinkled ones. “You see, most of us here don’t know nearly enough magic to defend ourselves. We’re just an agricultural village...your party has been such a great help.”

He smiled back. “It’s no problem. That’s what guilds and parties are here for.”

Behind him, he could hear the residents whispering. They seemed impressed, mostly, and he was glad that his juniors were basking in the praise.

“UNDEAD, right?” he could hear someone comment. “I heard they’re really strong, and that they’re from that prestigious guild three cities over.”

“Yeah,” their friend replied. “They’re always so cool and reliable, aren’t they? That’s what makes them so popular. I think I might become a fan as well…”

Their reputation hadn’t seemed to drop in the past year—in fact, it had only risen and risen even more, even if they weren’t trying particularly hard to fulfil any kind of image. Rei had always found that strange, but if it was in their favour, then who were they to complain?

A third person spoke up. “It’s a pity they’re down a member, though. Apparently they used to be a party of four? I wonder what that was like.”

Rei bit his lip at the offhand statement, his stomach churning, but didn’t bother to comment on it.

“Anyway, we’re all very grateful,” the mayor affirmed, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand. “Here is your reward—I daresay you’ve more than earned the extra bits inside. I hope that you’ll continue to help others out through your work…”

She pressed an envelope of gold coins into his hand, bowing—and he lowered his head in exchange. 

“Thank you for your well-wishes. We hope we’ll be able to do that too.”

With his parting words, he had nothing left to say—so that was that, and they were on their way.

* * *

Rei pressed his head against the train’s window with a drawn-out sigh, closing his eyes before he had to deal with anything Koga and Adonis said.

He was too tired to fire back responses now—they would have to wait till later.

A minute passed, and then two, until several long minutes had gone by and Rei simply could  _ not  _ get to sleep, no matter how hard he tried.

_ Well, this is good enough.  _ He didn’t move from where he was positioned, letting the faint rumble of the train’s less-than-fluid movement block out any of the thoughts that tried to buzz around at the back of his mind.

“Oi.” His eyes were still closed, and in his half-awake state, he could make out Koga mumbling something from the seat across him—probably to Adonis, Rei thought. “Ya think he’s asleep? He seemed like he was out cold the moment we got on.”

Another voice answered him. “I think we should let Sakuma-senpai rest. He’s been very tired lately.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Koga grumbled, but there was a hint of reluctant concern in his tone. “Did you think I was gonna smack him awake? He’s been even more uncool and spacey ever since...well, you know what happened.”

There was a pause, and Rei took that chance to shift his arm, hoping it fell under the guise of moving in his sleep.

If he didn’t distract himself, even the slightest bit of silence would give way to unkind thoughts, after all.

Adonis breathed, low and heavy. “He’s taking it the hardest out of all of us. I do wish he would share some of his burden with us—he’s just been pretending that it hasn’t affected him…”

“Annoying as hell, ain’t it?” Koga’s voice was soft, revealing a certain kind of vulnerability that he never showed to Rei—and he could feel his heart sink at that. His juniors shouldn’t have to be worrying about  _ him,  _ and yet here they were. “Though it’s gonna take a thousand years for him to ever open up to us about how he feels about the whole thing.”

_ Ouch. _ Rei wondered if it would be possible to stop listening right then and there.

“You’re right, Oogami. Sakuma-senpai is that kind of person, after all.” Adonis waited for a few moments before continuing again. “...I suppose that the only solution would be for Hakaze-senpai to return, but…”

There was a  _ tch  _ sound, and Koga cut him off. “Yeah. Damn, Hakaze-senpai’s going to have a  _ lot  _ of explaining to do when he comes back. Well, after I sock him in the face for disappearing on us.”

“Do you think he’s still alive, Oogami?” 

“Well, Sakuma-senpai never told us the whole story, so it’s not up to me to judge,” Koga muttered. “But he’s a member of UNDEAD, so—he’s alive, Adonis. Don’t believe what everyone else is saying.”

Yet another pause that made his heart skip a beat, and then—”I believe what you say. We’ll definitely see him again.”

Rei wished he could be as optimistic as his juniors, but it was  _ hard  _ when he was one of the only ones who knew what had gone down in the first place.

The train rolled to a stop—they weren’t getting off yet, there were still a couple of hours left to go—and the conversation tapered off into eventual silence, leaving him to stew alone in his own thoughts. 

He adjusted his position, and tried to sleep once again.

* * *

The library was cold, and quiet—but it was comfortable despite its shortcomings, and with a sufficiently thick sweater, Rei would be able to read in relative peace.

His eyes scanned over words, and he had to backtrack a little at places where he started to doze off or daydream, but for some quiet daytime reading, it was very much preferable to the  _ other  _ option of being outside in the sun.

...except when there was someone there to ruin that delicate balance he’d created for himself.

“Fancy seeing you here.” He’d recognise that voice anywhere; it was one he didn’t like, but one he had come to accept—holding a grudge against the owner of the guild he was in would be nothing but exhausting. “Hard at work, I’m guessing?”

Rei smiled thinly, closing the book and peering up to meet Eichi’s gaze. “Just enjoying my leisure time, Tenshouin-kun.”

The blonde hummed in response, and before he knew it, he was already seated across him. “If that’s what you say...I do find it rather coincidental that you’re reading a book about deep sea life, though. New hobby?”

His mind worked double-time to counter that, something he didn’t particularly like in this sort of relaxing atmosphere. “I find all books interesting, as a matter of fact. Are you going to be joining me?”

“If you don’t mind,” Eichi replied, with an amount of practiced ease that annoyed him just a little.

The two of them sat in silence for about a minute, and then Eichi chose to break the foolish charade they’d been dancing around.

“You don’t have to pretend you’re still trying to see if Hakaze-kun is out there, you know.” He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “I  _ was  _ one of the people you told the full story, so if you’d want me to assist…”

Rei fought the urge to roll his eyes at that. “Your men weren’t even able to find me. What makes you think it’ll be any different in Kaoru-kun’s case?”

The truth sat there, laid bare in all its cold, hard glory.

He knew that Eichi’s search teams were some of the best around. He knew that the guild’s owner would demand nothing but the best for his guild members’ wellbeing, and yet—

The enemy they were dealing with was a master of craftiness and hiding, and it was safe to say that they were out of their league—after all, the ocean was a place they were unfamiliar with, and its vastness was something Rei  _ knew  _ the enemy would use to their advantage.

They’d tried to go back, after Rei had made it back to Yumenosaki a year ago without Kaoru. Eichi had tried to work out where they had been located through Rei’s brief accounts of the hideout, but it seemed like they’d moved somewhere else.

It really was like playing chess with his reflection.

Eichi leaned back in his chair. “I’m sorry that we weren’t able to find him. And the magic council, well…”

“They said he was to be assumed dead,” Rei finished.

“You have to give them some credit for trying for six months, at least.” Eichi folded his hands in a pitying gesture. “But it’s true that the council is generally quite useless when it comes to things like these.”

Rei laughed. “You’re being unusually frank today, Tenshouin-kun.”

“Am I? I’ve always been like this.” That angelic smile was back, with an air that spoke the exact opposite of his pleasant expression. “Let’s try to move on to something else. You’ve been wearing that necklace of yours quite a lot...you said Hakaze-kun gave it to you?”

“He did.”  _ One year ago.  _ “It looks rather out of the ordinary, but I don’t have the faintest clue what it could be.”

Eichi glanced at the ornament, intrigued. “I don’t recall him ever having worn that, too...do you think it could have been recorded somewhere? Perhaps it’s some kind of old artifact.”

“Believe me, I’ve searched,” Rei admitted, gesturing to the books in front of him. “But I haven’t been able to find anything about it.”

“I’ll make sure to ask my attendants to search the Tenshouin household’s library,” Eichi offered. “We  _ do  _ have a collection of interesting books...though, most of them are also in Yumenosaki, so this would most likely end up being fruitless.”

He replied with a wry smile. “I appreciate it nonetheless.”

“Hakaze-kun’s a member of Yumenosaki too,” the blonde affirmed. “A member of  _ my  _ guild. And I believe you’re searching for him as well, as the leader of your party? Let’s do our best.”

Rei was  _ tired _ —but he shrugged, keeping his eyes on the book in his hands as he did so.

“Right as always, Tenshouin-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some p lease give rei his bf back, his pining is making me wanna crash my head into my table and i'm the one writing this story
> 
> but i hope you enjoyed this chapter! as always, you can find me @ikanyaide on twitter~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t worry.”
> 
> A third voice joined the fray, barely heard over Souma’s shouting.
> 
> “That is…’you’, is it not? Kaoru.”

Shu was out tending to some other case in the kingdom, which was his cue to make a bad decision—and go wandering around the castle without the doctor’s permission.

In his defence, the doctor was unbearably stuffy at times, and it wasn’t like he could try to persuade his assistant to let him walk around unsupervised. As easy as it was to strike up a fun conversation with Mika, the dark-haired boy would never let him do something that would upset Shu.

But staying cooped up in a room wasn’t really his style, and he hadn’t gotten into  _ that  _ much trouble from the few times he’d ignored Shu’s orders. Kaoru was sure it would be fine.

Life at the castle was...alright. Pretty boring, since he was hardly allowed to go anywhere on his own, but talking with the girls was fun, and he was able to live in relative comfort.

He’d been allowed to stay with them because of a—well, he couldn’t really follow the King’s lecture—but there was some kind of seal that was connected to the ocean. Kaoru was confused about the whole thing, but they didn’t seem to mean any harm.

...the whole thing about not remembering anything was a bummer, though.

No one knew why he’d lost his memories. The doctors back at the hospital had examined every inch of him, as much as he didn’t like it—but they hadn’t discovered anything wrong with his brain.

It was a mystery that no one could uncover, and Shu had just told him to hope for the best for now, but Kaoru didn’t like not  _ knowing  _ anything.

Still, what else could he even do? His magic factor—the part of his soul that controlled his energy and magic—had shut down completely when they found him, and with his natural healing stemmed because of that, his recovery was going at a painfully slow pace.

With Shu breathing up his neck every couple of days, he really couldn’t do anything about his memories even if he  _ wanted  _ to.

Kaoru stretched, catching sight of a familiar guard as he walked.

He smiled, offering a carefree wave to the boy and drawing closer. “Souma-kyun~! It’s nice to see you today.”

Souma scowled at him in response. “You shouldn’t be out.”

_ Whoops, busted too early.  _ He could only shrug in response, shooting him one of the grins the ladies in the castle found so endearing. “You wouldn’t want to just sit around in a room all day, would you~? I’d be growing mushrooms if I tried to do that.”

“While I cannot deny that I would be most upset if I were to be subject to that—” Souma narrowed his eyes. “It is disgraceful not to listen to orders. Besides, are you not still injured?”

“Aww, are you worried about me?” Kaoru laughed as the other boy sputtered. “Just kidding!”

He waited for a little while for Souma to collect himself again. “I mean, technically, I  _ am?  _ Wounds taking a long time to heal and all. But there’s only so much rest I can get, so I figured I’d take a little walk.”

There was a long pause, and then the guard sighed. “Whatever. I cannot stop the likes of you.”

“I’m pretty sure you could, though? I can’t even use magic, and you have a sword and everything.” Kaoru poked at Souma’s cheek in response. “Could it be that you support my cause secretly or something?”

“Do  _ not  _ get me wrong, or put words in my mouth,” Souma huffed. “I merely would not stoop so low as to harm a patient. That is all.”

Kaoru just laughed. “Sure, sure, whatever you say. So, what’s up? What’s this place they put you in charge of?”

“I am not obligated to answer you.”

“That’s true, but it’d make for a good conversation topic,” he argued, moving just a little bit closer. “It can’t be  _ so  _ top-secret if you’re the only one guarding it, right? C’mon, spill the beans.”

Souma’s ears perked up at the last part. “Spill the...beans? What does that mean?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me what you’re doing,” Kaoru suggested, sticking out his tongue. “Fair deal?”

The frown on Souma’s face deepened, and he seemed to be seriously considering the decision like it was one of the most important choices he’d made in his life—he’d think it was cute if the context didn’t make it so  _ stupid. _

“Very well. You would have been able to find out if you had asked Itsuki-dono or the king anyway…” Defeated, the boy raised his head. “What I am protecting is the Eternity Sphere, the Kingdom’s most treasured artifact.”

_ An artifact…?  _ “Wait, then why is Souma-kyun the only one guarding it? If it’s that important, shouldn’t they put a few more people around here, at least?”

“On the rare occasion that there would be an intruder, having only one guard here would not draw attention to anyone looking to find it. That way, we would be able to buy time for backup to arrive,” Souma explained. “And, in addition, there are other guards stationed nearby too—they would be able to help in the case of an emergency.”

Kaoru shrugged—he hadn’t been  _ too  _ interested in that lengthy explanation, but Souma seemed so fired up trying to explain it that he let it slide.

“Wow~ fancy. You’re so intense about all this, y’know?” He would ruffle the guard’s hair, but his helmet was in the way. “What a good boy!”

“Please do not call me that,” Souma fired back. “I will not accept such words from someone like you.”

He pouted. “That’s  _ rude!” _

“I do not care,” was the response. “At any rate, my lunch break is soon, and I will be eating inside the room. Do not follow me—you should return to your room before Itsuki-dono finds that you’re gone.”

Souma opened the door just as another guard came in to take his place, and Kaoru smiled, taking a step closer. “Itsuki-kun will just lecture me a little, it’s fine. And isn’t it fine if I just hang around for a biiit~?”

“This room is under high protection, do not just— _ wait!”  _

Kaoru knew there was a chance he’d get into trouble for this—trouble that was more serious than any of Shu’s endless lectures that had him nodding off at the end of it. But he felt something  _ calling  _ him to enter; maybe it was just because he liked being rebellious?

He had the feeling it was just a little deeper than that, though.

Before Souma could try and stop him, he’d deftly moved his feet so that he could duck around the guard, letting himself in without much fanfare.

The room was small and relatively empty, and for a moment, Kaoru wondered if there was actually anything of interest inside. He couldn’t see anything but coral walls and the faint light streaming in from a light source he couldn’t make out—

And then he saw it.

Right at the back of the room, there was a pedestal that might have been gold once—but the colour was worn from years of use, so he couldn’t tell. And on top of the pedestal, glimmering softly in the little light they had, was a sphere that seemed to peer back at him.

“That’s enough, you disgrace!” Souma’s voice attempted to break him out of his stupor. “Entering someplace without permission is simply  _ unforgivable!” _

Kaoru didn’t reply, his gaze still fixed on the sight in front of him.

As if it had sensed him, the orb glowed once, making a faint noise that he almost managed to miss. He ignored Souma’s glare, ignored his harsh words, and took a few steps closer to the Eternity Sphere.

Then, there was a much more noticeable  _ woosh,  _ and the next time he blinked, there was a burst of white light shooting out of the orb, and on instinct, he flinched.

“Don’t worry.”

A third voice joined the fray, barely heard over Souma’s shouting.

“That is…’you’, is it not? Kaoru.”

If he calmed down a little, he  _ could  _ make out the dim contour of a person floating above him, see-through body somehow staying in the air and sea-coloured eyes meeting his shocked gaze.

“Buchou-dono,” Souma rushed to say. “Do you know this fool? I apologize for his insolence; I should have been more careful not to let someone like him in. I will make haste to drive him out at once and—”

Kaoru interrupted him. “Souma-kyun’s right. How do you know my name?”

“Because Kaoru is a ‘very important’ part of the sea, and the sea is ‘mine to watch over.” The spirit-like creature hummed in response, voice as languid and calm as the waters on a good day. “You are ‘linked’ to it, are you not?”

“Uh, yeah, the king did say something like that…” He scratched the back of his head. “But who are  _ you?” _

Souma turned to face him. “To speak so casually to our guardian is…!”

“Souma, ‘enough’,” the person shushed. “You may call me ‘Kanata’.”

“Okay, then...Kanata-kun?” Kaoru hesitated for a moment, not sure how to deal with the entire situation. “So...you watch over the sea or something? Like, a guardian of sorts? Or are you their god…?”

Kanata tilted his head, as if pondering how to answer his question. “I grant the people’s ‘wishes’ of a peaceful and happy time here...does that ‘count’ as a god?”

Souma looked more and more cross, and he cut in front of Kaoru, facing the third person with a steely gaze. “Buchou-dono, don’t you think you are letting this stranger get too casual with you? You are, after all, our almighty guardian…”

“But everyone in the ‘sea’ is my friend,” Kanata replied easily. “Souma, is it not your ‘break time’? Let’s all relax together…~”

The boy huffed in response. “If...If that’s what you desire, then I will agree, I suppose.”

_ Wow, that was fast.  _ Were Kanata and Souma friends? It sure seemed that way—then again, Souma was in charge of guarding that one room day in and day out. He must have drifted closer to Kanata over time...or something like that.

At Kanata’s insistence, the both of them took a seat on the floor, with Souma reluctantly unwrapping a roll of bread to consume. He still looked slightly annoyed with Kaoru’s presence—not that Kaoru could blame him—but Kanata had seemed to placate him.

“Hm…” Kanata didn’t sit like the rest of them, but instead paced around the room. “Kaoru, you say that your memories are ‘gone’?”

When he nodded in response, the other boy just put a hand on his chin. “I see.”

“Did you know me before I wound up here, Kanata-kun?” Kaoru straightened up, watching Souma observe the conversation with focused eyes. “I mean...since you said I was linked to the sea, I know you know who I  _ am,  _ but have we met?”

“Perhaps,” Kanata hummed, evading the question and causing Kaoru to deflate back against the floor. “My ‘memory’ is not my strong point.”

It was then that Souma spoke up, voice thoughtful as he leaned forward. “There has been a saying in my family. They say that if you have lost your memories...then you must have experienced something so terrible that your soul has rejected it.”

“Really? I dunno about that…” Kaoru trailed off. “ _ All  _ my memories are gone, though. I don’t think my entire life would have been that bad? I mean, that sounds pretty sad.”

Souma took another bite of his lunch. “...I suppose you do have a point. Never mind about what I said, then.”

Kanata’s soft laughter rang into the air. “But thank you for contributing, Souma. You are ‘concerned’ about Kaoru too, right? I’m ‘happy’ that you’re such a good child.”

“I am  _ not  _ concerned about that man!”

“You’re so cold, Souma-kun—!”

Against his better judgement, Kaoru couldn’t help but smile at their little back-and-forth.

No matter how hard he tried, he was still met with a blank when he attempted to think of his past; what could have  _ happened  _ that caused him to end up unconscious at the outskirts of the Kingdom of the Ocean.

But his life wasn’t that bad like this. Pestering Souma, making small talk with the ladies, meeting Kanata—

He wouldn’t mind continuing to live this way.

* * *

“Hmph. So he was here...I’ll be taking him back to his room, Kanzaki. Hello as well, Kanata.”

Shu looked rather annoyed that Kaoru had snuck off  _ again,  _ but he couldn’t hide his relief when he saw that the blonde wasn’t in any danger.

“Hello, Shu.” Kanata waved from where he was in the room. “You are ‘taking care’ of Kaoru?”

“I’m the doctor in charge of him, yes. He’s quite the hopeless case, though...sneaking off all the time and such. My goodness.” The man watched Kaoru doze off against the rusted pedestal, unaware of the conversation was taking place. “How many times do I have to tell him that he won’t be able to hold out?”

Kanata just blinked at him. “But I was able to meet Kaoru because of it, so I’m ‘happy’.”

“Is that so? Good for you, then.” Shu gestured at Mika to collect Kaoru from the room before taking another step in. “Did you tell him about your meeting, or are you intending on keeping that a secret…?”

“Well, I don’t know ‘everything’ about him,” Kanata said. “But he is still ‘weak’ now, right? If I tried to explain it, I might end up confusing him even more. I might make him ‘upset’, even.”

Souma peered up at the two of them. “Does that mean you had met him before in the past, Buchou-dono?”

“Long ago, in the old days,” Kanata explained. “I met Kaoru ‘briefly’...but I will merely watch over him now. It is my ‘duty’.”

“I assume he is one of Rei’s now?” Shu turned his gaze downwards. “Should we tell him that, when he gets better?”

The spirit just shook his head in response. “We only know ‘bits and pieces’...I think that if someone were to give him his past, it should be someone who knows everything about him.”

“You’re wise as usual.” Shu sighed, adjusting Mademoiselle on his hand before nodding at Souma and Kanata. “Well, I should take him back to his room before he wakes up. I’ll see you again, Kanata.”

“Hehe...I look forward to our next ‘conversation’ as well, Shu.”

And the door closed behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had a teeny bit of writer's block so i didn't get this chapter done as quick as i wanted to, but i pushed through for kaoru...!! marine bio moments are good i love them a lot
> 
> as always, i hope you enjoyed this chapter! i'd love to hear your opinions so far (the actual plot is gonna start Soon) and i'll...try my best not to lose steam with this.....
> 
> you can find me on twitter @/ikanyaide as usual!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, absolutely not. I have faith in UNDEAD, as I do with any unit under Yumenosaki,” Eichi chuckled. “If it’s the Kingdom of the Ocean, though...perhaps they would know something.”

It appeared to be an innocuous request for the first five seconds that Eichi laid eyes on the scroll in front of him.

A job that asked for backup and reinforcements—it seemed normal enough at first; a rather plain job that didn’t catch his eye, but it was when he reached the second paragraph that his gaze faltered.

_ We would like you to send an A ranked team or above. _

_ That  _ didn’t surprise him as much. Though it was certainly more uncommon, it wasn’t a shock to receive requests that ended off on the higher end, but the next line...

_ This request has been sent to you by the Kingdom of the Ocean. _

Eichi’s grip on the scroll tightened.

The Kingdom of the Ocean—a rumoured tale of an entire society that lived underwater. He had been skeptical of the tale, considering the fact that there had never been any concrete sightings or reports on the mythical place.

Was this a prank…? But the scroll seemed legitimate enough...and Eichi couldn’t begin to fathom why someone would make up a false request and have it sent to  _ him.  _ Wouldn’t it be far less risky to pin it up on the noticeboard without his permission?

But if this wasn’t a prank, or anything of ill will, then that meant…

He glanced down at the paper again, scrutinizing the description for any possible traces of deception, when the door clicked open and a guard approached his desk sheepishly.

“I apologise for the lateness, but this also arrived along with the request you’re reading right now...we had forgotten to give it to you.” He bowed, long and deep, until Eichi dismissed him from the room and turned the envelope over in his hands.

Out fell a small bottle, and he almost cracked a smile at the sight.

A letter in a bottle? How charming; whoever sent this was certainly a fan of myths and stories that had been long tossed to the win. He couldn’t say he didn’t understand the appeal, but what was the gift for?

The paper that fell out from within the glass was blank, and slightly worn, but another gentle shake caused a faded shell to fall out onto his desk. He froze for a moment, confused, but regained his composure soon enough and leaned forward to take a better look at the object.

“This is—”

Eichi took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair as he prepared himself for a long day of meetings—and to call his guards to help summon a certain party for him.

* * *

“It’s good to see you three. I assume you’ve received my invitation?”

Rei took a seat in the plush chair across their guild owner’s table, leaving the other two to scramble to find other — albeit far less fancy — chairs. Koga let out a disgruntled snort and Adonis was the same as usual, but he simply smiled at their antics before facing Eichi. “I assure you we would not have any other reason for being here, Tenshouin-kun.”

The blonde just laughed, sliding three cups of tea across his desk. “It’s good to see you’re as warm as ever. Do make yourselves at home.”   
  


From his corner of the room, Koga rolled his eyes. “If ya got something ya want us to do, then spit it out. You’re wasting our precious time with yer damn small talk, so hurry an’ out with it before I get bored and leave.”

“Please do not worry about that,” Adonis added, bowing his head in a slight apology. “I will make sure Oogami does not exit until you are finished, Tenshouin-san.”

“I didn’t ask  _ you  _ to butt in, Adonis!”

“Children, children. Be quiet.” Rei silenced the two of them with a wave of his hand. “Anyway, back to what you were saying. What kind of interesting proposition do you have for us this time?”

Eichi clasped his hands together. “I’m sure you’re aware that you’re the highest-ranked guild in Yumenosaki as of now. There isn’t a unit that’s quite measured up to you in terms of reputation and achievements.”

The leader of the unit in question simply shrugged in response. “Besides Trickstar, I would believe—though those children are pursuing a different future now. But while I appreciate the flattery, I’m afraid I’ll have to agree with Doggie and ask you to hurry up with your request.”

“As you wish. You’ve known that I’ve sent you on dangerous missions before; ones that require all members of a guild to be A-ranked or higher. And while all of you more than meet the requirement, I’m hesitating to ask you to take on this job because of the location. Sakuma-kun, you may want to set your teacup down.”

“How fussy,” Rei said, obliging. “Well, you may continue.”

Eichi’s gaze didn’t quite meet them; instead, it fell on a comfortable point between Rei’s forehead and his eyes. “You see, the request this time has been sent by the Kingdom of the Ocean. It’s existed all this time, apparently.”

Rei froze at that. Well, he’d...expected something  _ else. _

“Wait, what?” Koga frowned. “But no one’s ever seen it. Must be some kinda prank, right?”

“I had suspected that earlier, but…” Eichi gestured for them to come closer as he laid a shell on his desk. “This shell is one that’s found right at the bottom of the ocean, and if you look closer, the sender has enclosed a spell that allows you to breathe underwater. I doubt any prankster would go this far.”

Adonis observed the shell for a long while, his eyes flickering between Rei and the object for several long seconds. “But is Sakuma-senpai going to agree? After all, with what happened with him in the ocean, I don’t think…”

“Yes, and I understand. I will not force you to take this on if you do not feel up for it.” Eichi shook his head. “I’m aware that the events that had transpired with Sakuma-kun and—” He paused, as if he was deciding on whether to say something or not, but decided to anyway. “ —Hakaze-kun came as a huge blow for all of you. I’ve already prepared to call on RYUSEITAI should you refuse.”

Koga let out a strangled sound. “Seriously?  _ These  _ buffoons?”

“No matter your opinion on them, they’re the strongest unit after UNDEAD. It’s only logical for them to be my next choice.”

“...It’s fine. You don’t have to be so considerate; I would feel bad leaving such an important request in the hands of a unit who’s only your second pick.” Rei let out a sigh. “Not that I hold anything against RYUSEITAI, of course, but what I’m saying is—we’ll take the job. Give us the details, if you’d be so kind.”

The other two members looked surprised that he’d agreed—worried, even. He was glad they were concerned about how he would hold up, but he couldn’t take advantage of that walk on eggshells. Not when it was about work.

Even Eichi didn’t speak for a few moments. Had he really done something that surprising? The scrutinous gaze of those eyes seemed to agree.

“Very well. I’ll provide you with what you need to know.” His voice was mild, but he’d returned to his tea, at least. “It’s strange, but it seems that the King of their kingdom has reached out to us. There’s been more and more attacks on their barrier, and their own guards aren’t able to hold up. He said that he’d explain more in person—as to why they wanted such a high-ranking party, I’m not sure, but I’m sure he’ll clear it up. What he  _ did  _ say, however, is that they’re worried about the safety of their kingdom’s royal treasure, the Eternity Sphere.”

He certainly was vague—Rei wanted to say  _ just like always,  _ but he supposed he couldn’t blame Eichi this time. Just ten minutes ago they hadn’t had the faintest idea the Kingdom of the Ocean existed, after all.

As to how he felt about all this...he didn’t know, and he didn’t want to know.

Rei had been underwater a year ago. He’d gone there by choice; he’d wanted to protect those dearest to him so they wouldn’t have to get hurt by getting caught up in his issues, but he’d returned, not by his own free will…

_ God.  _ He’d lost something precious while he’d been buried in his self-sacrificial tendencies, and he didn’t know if he would ever get it back.

“Sakuma-kun.” Eichi’s even voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “I don’t have any more to say, other than that I’ll be in contact with the Kingdom and inform you of when you should be setting off. Is everything quite alright?”

“Hm? Yes, yes, there’s no problem.” Right, the kids were here too. Couldn’t risk worrying them more—Rei felt bad enough that they were already being so careful about this job. They were such good children; too sweet for him, really. “Doggie and Adonis-kun, you’re dismissed. I’ll be right behind you two.”

Koga grumbled out something that sounded like a  _ finally,  _ but shot him a weird glance before heading for the door. Adonis bowed at the two of them, ever the more polite one, but his gaze held a similar expression; one of restrained worry for their unit leader.

“Are you planning on searching for Hakaze-kun once you’re underwater?” 

Eichi was far more practiced in the art of concealing what he was truly feeling, it seemed. His smile was as gentle as ever as he addressed him, and Rei had to commend him for being so calm. “You do know we tried that and couldn’t find him, right…? The ocean is endlessly big, and you have a job to take care of.”

“I plan on...keeping a lookout.” He shrugged, finishing the last of his tea and rising to his feet. “It wouldn’t hurt. Though, I assure you that I would not skimp on the job to go looking for Kaoru-kun, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Oh, absolutely not. I have faith in UNDEAD, as I do with any unit under Yumenosaki,” Eichi chuckled. “If it’s the Kingdom of the Ocean, though...perhaps they would know something.”

Rei paused. “What do you mean?”

The other man’s expression hardened a little. “Think about it, Sakuma-kun. You’d mentioned to me what Hakaze-kun had last said before sending you back to the surface—that he was the bearer of the primal element of Water. If the ocean was linked to that very element, perhaps they would know something about his situation, or his whereabouts.”

“You’ve thought surprisingly hard about this,” he commented. “I wouldn’t know. The Council has presumed Kaoru-kun dead, and they’ve told us not to get our hopes up—”

“And yet you’ve been tirelessly consuming book after book about the ocean for months, Sakuma-kun. I don’t think you’ve been believing what the Council’s saying either.” Eichi raised an eyebrow in response. “Why not give it a try? I don’t see any harm in that.”

_ But what if they confirm that Kaoru-kun’s dead? What then? _

Still, he couldn’t deny that the prospect was...tempting. More than anything, he wanted to know what had happened to Kaoru—whether he was alright, whether he was still stuck in that cold room of the enemy’s base because he’d wanted to save Rei—

A cold shiver ran down his spine, as if telling him  _ don’t go venturing into unwanted territory. _

“...I’ll think about it,” he conceded. “Thank you for your time, Tenshouin-kun. I look forward to your update regarding the situation.”

“I’ll get it done as soon as possible,” Eichi replied amicably. “I believe that’s all we have to say. Have a good day, Sakuma-kun.” 

Rei forced a smile. “You too, of course.”

* * *

_ “ —royal treasure, the Eternity Sphere.” _

Huh? Was he just imagining things, or he had just overheard something by accident?

Chiaki shot a nervous glance at the closed door of Eichi’s office. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop at all; he’d just been passing by to make a delivery, and he knew that he should have just continued on his way, but he couldn’t help but wonder about what that was about.

It wasn’t just about the faraway title of a royal treasure. Yumenosaki was well-known among islands, so of course it got outlandish requests from time. He wasn’t surprised about  _ that,  _ not that he ever got to participate in these kinds of jobs, but—

Somehow, the artifact’s name made him stop in his tracks.

He hurried down the corridor before any of the guards could catch him dithering outside their president’s office, and set the box down outside the room he’d been asked to take it to.

It sounded familiar, but Chiaki was  _ certain  _ he hadn’t heard of anything with that name before. His parents weren’t one to feed him facts about trinkets or those kinds of things, and he’d never had much of an interest in researching, but…

“The Eternity Sphere— wonder that’s all about...”

He was answered by the cold silence of the hallway, however, and he sighed. Perhaps it was just a strange case of deja vu—or a figment of his imagination?

It wasn’t anything important enough to stop him from running his errands.

In the end, he was still a normal person with normal things to do. In the end, he was just RYUSEITAI’s newest intern-turned-errand-boy.

He couldn’t forget about that.

He wanted to forget about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heck it has been a WHILE i am so sorry. school has swamped me and i've been in poor health recently..../// anyway, this chapter's a little rushed and fuzzy at some parts because i'm doing most of my writing at night after my studies,,, either way, i hope you enjoyed this and thanks to everyone who keeps up with this!!! yall,,,the light of my life
> 
> once again, feel free to find me @ikanyaide on twitter, and i hope you enjoyed the chapter !!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeking help from land...it had been a last resort, but Souma wondered what these three guild members would bring. To be working with people outside his kingdom was unfamiliar, but he was sure that everything his King did was for a good reason.

“Are you sure you will be alright, on the ‘land’? It has been a long ‘time for you, Souma.”

The guard clicked his tongue in return, puffing out his chest as he answered. “It is nothing for Buchou-dono to worry about. I am one of the Kingdom’s most trusted, after all; and if it is their desire for me to run an errand on terrain I am unfamiliar with, then I will happily comply.”

Kanata giggled at his formal response, the sound echoing around the room like the light tinkle of a bell. “That is very ‘Souma-like’ of you.”

“Is that not honorable?” Souma replied, frowning. “I simply wish to do my best to serve my Kingdom—and you as well.”

“Silly boy.” The spirit’s voice was fond as he ruffled the boy’s hair, causing him to yelp and try to smooth it back into place. “As long as Souma is doing his best for ‘himself’, then it is okay. There is no need to try and do it for ‘me’.”

Souma paused, as if he was torn between smiling or full-out sobbing from Kanata’s response. “Buchou-dono…”

“There, there…~” Kanata patted the orb in his hands, watching it glow and hum between his fingers. “I am going to take a ‘nap’. If Souma desires to go, then he should not ‘hesitate’. The land is a scary place, much more than the ocean, but it is ‘fulfilling’...”

“Ah! Have a good nap.” Souma bowed, but snapped back up a moment later when he’d processed his friend’s words. “Have you been on the land before?”

All he got in response was a muted giggle and an empty room.

**   
  
**

* * *

Navigating the land was no problem for him, a proud member of the Kanzaki family, and a trusted guard of the Kingdom of the Ocean—was what he had thought.

“I have to find this guild called ‘Yumenosaki’, where the unit UNDEAD resides,” Souma muttered to himself. “To do that...I’ve already gotten from the Island of Junctures to the city where the building is located. But how do I get there…?”

If he was in the Kingdom, he’d just have asked one of the residents. Everyone was more or less willing to help each other out, after all.

But this was somewhere else, and Souma was unfamiliar with the decorum—how had he forgotten to ask such a trivial detail? He did not know how the people up here functioned; what if answering to requests was not part of their culture?

So he stood and dithered for a few minutes, watching the crowd go about their day. A frown crossed his face—would it be worth it to take that risk? Even if he had angered someone, he was prepared to fight. If nothing else, he had faith in his blade, a lifelong partner who had— 

“Hey. Are you...lost or somethin’?”

...Oh. Someone was talking to him.

Souma’s head snapped up to see a man glancing at him curiously a few metres away, arms both occupied with two large boxes that he couldn’t tell the contents of.

“Oh, yes!” So it seemed like the general culture on land wasn’t one of complete hostility—what a relief! Souma gave the stranger a bow. “I’m an escort. I’m looking for a guild that seems to be well-known around here...would you happen to know the name Yumenosaki? I have not come to this city before, and as such, I did not know where to start looking…”

The man chuckled. “Yumenosaki? No problem. I was planning on heading there after making this delivery, so you could just tag along with me if you’re not in a hell of a rush or something.”

“That would be wonderful,” Souma admitted. “I must thank you for offering your assistance. May I ask for your name, so I could repay the favour sometime in the future?”

“Kuro Kiryu. And it’s fine, don’t fret over it.” He smiled, his expression surprisingly gentle on someone so big. “It’s not out of my way, and I’m not even doing anything that big. Lots of people have business with Yumenosaki anyway, so showing people to the guild just helps to lighten people’s load a little.”

“You…” The guard was moved by the man’s words. “You truly have a good heart…!”

Kuro just shook his head, as if shaking off the praise. “Now that’s just flattery. C’mon, if we don’t waste time, we can make this delivery and be at the guild in less than an hour.”

* * *

True to his word, Kuro had brought Souma right to Yumenosaki’s doorstep—albeit a far bit later than Kuro’s estimate had been, but the job had been done nonetheless.

It had been more of Souma’s fault than the other. He had found himself enchanted with the textiles sold at the shop they had visited, and he had bombarded his companion with questions as soon as Kuro had made his delivery. His curiosity about the lifestyle led in this world had led to him insisting on visiting shop after shop, and they had continued their spree until just before sunset.

Souma had grown flustered at the realisation, and had apologized profusely to Kuro once they had reached. What if Kuro had something urgent, and he had occupied his time for the better part of two hours? What if he’d been nothing more than a major inconvenience?   
  


But Kuro had just brushed it off, and told him that he was overthinking it. “I have a lot of free time. Besides, it was nice strolling around like that—I usually don’t stay for long when I make a delivery.”

Surely, it had been a miracle to run into someone as laidback and reliable as him. Despite his insistence on not being repaid, Souma made a mental note otherwise—someone like him  deserved  the favour, and he was more than happy to help Kuro out if he ever needed it.

“Ah, Kuro-chin~!” A small figure jumped up from where he’d been sitting in the lounge. “Did you just get here? Geez, I know I said the time wasn’t that important, but—!”

“Sorry, sorry.” At least the other person’s tone seemed more playful than genuinely annoyed—Souma would have committed seppuku right there and then if he had caused Kuro to miss an important appointment and gotten him into trouble. “Went to show someone the way here. This is Nito, Kanzaki.”

He’d even remembered his name…! Souma bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I do apologize for having held Kiryu-dono up.”

“Nah, we’ve known each other for so long that it’s no biggie anymore. Sometimes things happen, y’know~?” Nito waved it off easily. “You’re here for business, right? If you wanna talk to Eichi-chin, there should be a receptionist at the counter. As long as you have a reason to be here, they’ll let you through.”

“Thank you for the assistance…!” Souma started towards the counter in anticipation. “I wish the both of you a good day, and hope whatever you are meeting for goes well.”

The blonde just grinned. “No problem~! C’mon, Kuro-chin, let’s check out the bulletin.”

As the three of them parted, Souma made a note to remember their names—and then, it was time to resume what he had been sent here for.

* * *

Fortunately, the receptionist had been more than accommodating, and he found himself sitting in the lounge, waiting for the guild he was meant to collect.

The telltale sound of footsteps alerted him of someone’s present. Souma glanced up on instinct—had his clients arrived? —and the tall man that glanced back down at him offered him a gentle smile. “Welcome. Are you Souma Kanzaki? Your employer had a meeting booked under your name.”

He jumped to attention, getting up from the couch in such a hurry that he nearly tripped over himself in the process. He’d caught himself, however, and acted with the poise that the Kanzaki family expected of him.

“Yes, I am,” he replied, bowing just as he had with Kuro. “I’m the escort sent to collect UNDEAD.”

“I’m Eichi Tenshouin, and I run this guild.” Eichi took a seat opposite him. “There’s no need to be so formal, Kanzaki-kun. UNDEAD’s on their way, so please relax accordingly until they arrive.”

Relax…?  That was very kind of Eichi, but he couldn’t just do that when he was here for work. Souma understood the importance of leisure and relaxation, and made sure to do so at appropriate intervals—he’d even had fun outside with Kuro! —but why on earth should he be doing that  now?  He couldn’t help but find the notion inappropriate.

But the Kingdom had also told him to work closely with the guild, and listen closely to what they said...since the words had come from Eichi’s mouth, perhaps it was alright to sit back down and lean back into the soft cushioning of his chair just a little.

“Here, have some tea. Freshly brewed.” A small cup was pushed his way, and the guild’s leader took a sip from his own drink. “I hope the journey here hasn’t been too taxing. We’re thankful that you’ve been sent as a guide, but I’ve been made aware that you aren’t familiar with the area…”

“It’s no trouble at all! Rest assured that I’m more than prepared to handle any task my lord asks of me.” Souma tried the cup of tea he’d been offered; the taste was quite a bit different than the tea they had back at the Kingdom, but he couldn’t say it was  bad.  “Besides, some members of your guild have been very helpful, and they had shown me the way here.”

Eichi’s expression remained pleasant, and he turned his head back to the door Kuro and Nazuna had gone through earlier. “Is that so? I must thank them later.”

“Thank you very much,” Souma replied. “Everyone has been very accommodating...this seems like a very pleasant place.”

“I try my best to make it as such,” the other man agreed. “But I’m sure your kingdom is wonderful as well.”

“Oh, of course. I have great pride in the standards we hold ourselves up to.” Souma sat straight up, glad for the chance to praise the Kingdom. “It’s very beautiful, and a home to many kind people. And that’s precisely why, as a guard, I have to do my best to protect it.”

A third voice joined the conversation. “What a wonderful motive that is. Anyway, I’ve heard you’re our escort for today? I must thank you for coming all the way here.”

“Always joining in on your own whims...really, Sakuma-kun.” Eichi shook his head, and tilted his head back to meet the other’s gaze. “Kanzaki-kun, it looks like they’ve arrived. Rei Sakuma, Koga Oogami, and Adonis Otogari—together, they make up UNDEAD, the strongest and most well-known unit that’s active here currently.”

“Let’s get along.” There was an air about them that came across as intimidating, but maybe it was just how strong they were—if they were part of this guild, then Souma was sure they were friendly individuals just like Kuro and Nazuna. “Thank you so much for taking our request.”

Rei stepped forward so he was standing right beside Eichi’s chair. “Kuku. That’s what guilds exist for, so it isn’t any trouble for us.”

“Yeah, but can ya just...cut all the small talk?” The grey-haired one that he identified as Koga scowled, tapping his foot impatiently against the floor. “Didn’t ya come here to take us to wherever so we can go fight some stuff? You three speak so archaic-like that I feel like I’m greying.”

The man next to him was quiet, but a frown flitted over his features as he considered his teammate’s words. “But Oogami, your hair is already—”

“Ugh, it’s a figure of speech, Adonis!” Koga snapped at him before he could finish his sentence. “Anyway, get on with it.”

“...Yes. My lord will explain all the details once you arrive at the Kingdom, rest assured.” Souma lowered his head in apology. “I am sorry for dragging my feet with this issue. We can leave whenever the three of you are ready.”

Koga just rolled his eyes. “We’re all done packing. We’re more than ready to kick some ass.”

“Kick some...ass? Whatever could that mean?” The world above land seemed to contain many peculiar sayings. Was this something like the phrase Kaoru had told him before—to “spill the beans” or something like that?

“It’s not important,” Rei interjected. “Doggie has quite the foul mouth, so perhaps it would be unwise to learn ‘slang’ from someone like him.”

“ Don’t put words in my mouth!”

Adonis spoke up again, from where he’d been observing the conversation. “Sakuma-senpai, Oogami, we’re getting off topic.”

Souma supposed learning the meaning behind that phrase would have to wait until later—at worst, he could just ask Kaoru. A human like him would be more acquainted with the nuances of their language, even with how little memories the man had.

“Very well.” Eichi was the one to call the conversation to a halt. “Should I show you to the entrance?”

Seeking help from land...it had been a last resort, but Souma wondered what these three guild members would bring. To be working with people outside his kingdom was unfamiliar, but he was sure that everything his King did was for a good reason.

He finished the last of his tea, setting the empty cup down on the table. “If you would be so kind, Tenshouin-dono. Once again, I must thank you.”

“And I wish you good luck in sorting things out within the Kingdom,” Eichi smiled, holding the door open for them. “Have a safe trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN A WHILE!!!! i last updated this in february ?? jesus
> 
> anyway, i got this chapter out because i was hit with the inspiration...i'll be very busy for a couple of months, but i promise!! i will come back to this!!! as always, i hope you enjoyed reading, and you can find me @ikanyaide on twitter!!

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed this !!! i'd love to hear your thoughts about this au so far, we're all in this together now ;^D but once again, i hope you liked this, and i'll be doing my best and (hopefully) cheering for the characters!!


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